Bill Gates, an American billionaire and philanthropist, has described President Donald Trump’s halting of funding to the World Health Organization, WHO, as “dangerous as it sounds.”
President Trump had on Tuesday, April 14, 2020, said he was instructing his administration to halt funding while “a review is conducted to assess the World Health Organization’s role in severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus.”
Trump explained that the US will now “discuss what to do with all that money that goes to the WHO.”
Gates in a tweet on his handle on Wednesday, April 15, 2020, however, faulted Trump’s decision at a time the world is fighting a pandemic.
Halting funding for the World Health Organization during a world health crisis is as dangerous as it sounds. Their work is slowing the spread of COVID-19 and if that work is stopped no other organization can replace them. The world needs @WHO now more than ever.
— Bill Gates (@BillGates) April 15, 2020
“Halting funding for the World Health Organization during a world health crisis is as dangerous as it sounds,” the businessman said.
The world, more than ever, needs the WHO which is helping to slow down the spread of COVID-19, according to Gates.
Possibly in reaction to this development, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has pledged an additional $150 million to help the fight against the virus.
“The @GatesFoundation will commit an additional $150 million to the global response to #COVID19,” Mrs. Gates wrote on Twitter. “We have a responsibility to meet this global crisis with global solidarity.”
Thanks so much @melindagates, @BillGates and the @gatesfoundation for your outstanding support to the world during this crisis and additional contribution of $150M to the global #COVID19 response. Together! https://t.co/pB4uOaUKJF
— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) April 16, 2020
He said: “Their work is slowing the spread of COVID-19 and if that work is stopped no other organization can replace them. The world needs @WHO now more than ever.”
The WHO had in January declared coronavirus a public health emergency of global concern with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation pledging about $100 million to help in the fight against the pandemic.
According to the foundation, the money will be deployed to help find a vaccine for the pandemic.
